Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

The next day.

A three-zhang-high wooden platform was erected overnight in front of the Tang Dynasty Royal Trading Company.

Red silk was laid from the top of the platform all the way down to the bottom of the steps.

The audience was packed with onlookers.

"Today, the Royal Merchant Guild of the Tang Dynasty is giving back to the people of Chang'an by launching a grand prize draw for every ten strings of cash spent."

Anyone who buys ten strings of cash worth of goods from our store can get a raffle ticket.

Honest and fair dealing, prizes are awarded and paid out on the spot.

Cheng Chumo stood on the platform and roared.

The audience was completely stunned when they heard this.

Ten strings of cash is no small amount; it's enough for an average family to live on for more than half a year.

"Young Master, what kind of prizes can you win in this lottery?"

Someone in the crowd asked curiously.

Cheng Chumo clapped his hands.

Fang Yi'ai and Yuchi Baolin carried a transparent box up.

Inside the box was the luminous pearl belonging to the Goguryeo royal family.

"See that?"

Cheng Chumo pointed to the box and said,

"The grand prize is the priceless luminous pearl, a national treasure from the Goguryeo royal palace. Whoever wins it gets to keep it."

The entire crowd was stunned.

They had never seen anything like it before.

Now some people are actually saying that you have a chance to get it by buying things?

This is not finished.

At this moment, Changsun Chong walked up with a smile and pointed to a plump and strong Ferghana horse from the Western Regions that was tied to the left side of the stage.

"First prize: a prized Akhal-Teke horse from the Western Regions, worth a thousand strings of cash."

He then pointed to the pile of copper coins on the right, which looked like a small mountain.

"Second prize: 100 strings of cash. Third prize: 10 strings of cash."

"Dear fellow villagers, the number of lottery tickets is limited, while supplies last. If you want to get rich, hurry up and come in."

When have the people of Chang'an ever seen such a spectacle?

The three items on the scene were like three hooks, firmly seducing everyone's greed.

The entire West Market instantly descended into madness.

"I want to buy it! Give me a kitchen knife worth ten strings of cash."

A wealthy businessman, beaming with excitement, waved his flying ticket and pushed his way forward.

"Get out of my way! I was here first. Shopkeeper, pack me a hundred cotton-padded coats."

Previously unwanted steel kitchen knives and cotton-padded coats have now become hot commodities.

The wealthy businessmen didn't care what they were buying; all they cared about was that luminous pearl.

One hundred cotton-padded coats only cost ten strings of cash. You can easily buy a few hundred coats and exchange them for dozens of lottery tickets. This is such a good deal.

Ordinary people couldn't afford ten strings of cash, but they were desperate.

"Old Wang, let's pool our money, seven or eight families, and raise ten strings of cash to try our luck. If we win second prize, we can split it equally, which is still more than ten strings of cash."

"Done! I'll bet two strings."

"I'll pay one and a half strings."

People spontaneously formed groups and pooled their money to buy goods.

The threshold of the Tang Dynasty Royal Merchant Guild was almost broken by the crowd.

The shopkeeper stood behind the counter until his voice was hoarse:

"One hundred cotton-padded coats, ten strings of cash. Give this gentleman a lottery ticket."

"Two hundred kitchen knives, ten strings of cash! Take the lottery ticket."

In less than half an hour, one-third of the goods in the backyard warehouse were gone.

A long line formed in front of the raffle table.

An ordinary citizen, who was scraping together money to buy goods, tremblingly reached into the lottery box and pulled out a slip of paper.

Changsun Chong took the note, unfolded it, and then exclaimed with a smile:

"Wang Laosan from the south of the city has won the second prize. One hundred strings of cash."

The audience fell silent instantly.

Wang Laosan was dumbfounded, staring blankly at Changsun Chong.

"Give us the money!"

Changsun Chong waved his hand.

Several palace guards carrying a basket of copper coins collapsed in front of Wang Laosan.

"Really giving it to me?"

"Good heavens, one hundred strings of cash, given on the spot?"

The atmosphere was instantly ignited by this sum of money.

Those who didn't win kept rushing into the shop with red eyes, while those who did win went to buy more goods with their copper coins, hoping to win the grand prize.

Specialty products transported from Liaodong were cleared out at an alarming rate.

Changsun Chong sat in the back hall, his hands clutching handfuls of banknotes and copper coins. By the end, his hands were cramping from counting them.

The money in the warehouse was piled up like a small mountain, leaving no room to even step.

What's worse is that the goods I bought started to ferment.

Those wealthy merchants bought hundreds of cotton-padded coats, but since they couldn't wear them themselves, they simply sold them at low prices to their servants or neighbors.

When the neighbors tried it on, they were all blown away.

"What kind of clothes are these? Did they stuff hot coals inside? I'm sweating in this freezing weather."

"This cleaver is amazing. I used it to chop big bones and it didn't even leave a white mark. It's damn good at cutting iron like mud."

The warmth of the cotton-padded clothes and the sharpness of the kitchen knife immediately opened the eyes of the people of Chang'an.

Word of mouth spreads quickly.

I originally bought this for the prize draw, but now it's turned out to be a really good product.

A second wave of panic buying has begun.

Even those who hadn't planned to participate in the lottery rushed to the West Market with money in their pockets, just to buy a cotton-padded coat to get through the winter.

Inside the Cui family's shop across the crossroads.

Choi Min-won stood by the second-floor window, looking at the massive crowds across the street, and felt utterly overwhelmed.

His shop was nowhere to be seen today; they'd all moved to the other side of the street.

"Second Master, we haven't sold a single coin of our silk and ironware today."

The fat shopkeeper said with a mournful face.

Choi Min-won roared angrily:

"Quickly send someone to inform the head of the family. We can't handle this situation anymore."

......

Ganlu Temple.

Li Shimin has been in a good mood these past two days.

Judging by the days, the Crown Prince's money should be running out soon.

He's now just waiting for that rebellious son to come and beg him.

"Wang De, has there been any movement in the West Market?"

Wang De cautiously stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, there's a commotion, a very loud one."

"Oh?"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Has that rebellious son closed down his business? Or has he sent someone to beg me for help?"

Wang De said with difficulty:

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince didn't close the door. He held some kind of lottery, with a Goguryeo luminous pearl as the prize."

The entire population of Chang'an has gone mad; everyone's rushing to buy goods in the West Market.

Li Shimin was stunned.

"Buying up his goods? People actually buy his tattered cotton coat and scrap metal?"

"Your Majesty, those cotton-padded coats are incredibly warm, and the kitchen knives are exceptionally sharp. Word has spread that they're in high demand and short supply."

Wang De swallowed hard.

"The Hundred Cavalry Division just reported that...the Crown Prince earned more money this morning than all the aristocratic shops earned in half a year. The copper coins in the storeroom are overflowing."

Li Shimin stood up in disbelief.

"Earned half a year's worth of wealth in a single day?"

He simply couldn't understand this approach.

Can you really get the whole city to willingly part with their money by using a luminous pearl as bait?

Who did this unfilial son learn all these crooked and evil ways from?

"Was that luminous pearl taken away?"

Li Shimin suddenly realized what was happening.

Wang De shook his head and said:

"No. I heard that many wealthy businessmen spent thousands of dollars and didn't even win a third prize."

Li Shimin gasped.

Trying to get something for nothing?

This kid used a single bead to whet everyone's appetite, sold all the goods, and all the money went into the Crown Prince's pocket. In the end, the bead was still in his own hands.

Li Shimin plopped back down on the dragon throne, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

He originally wanted to see Li Chengqian make a fool of himself and force him to back down.

Now, things have taken a turn for the worse. Not only did this kid not back down, but he also took advantage of the blockade imposed by the aristocratic families to make a fortune in Chang'an.

"Send the imperial decree to Li Junxian."

Li Shimin gritted his teeth.

"Send more people to keep an eye on the West Market. The powerful families have suffered such a huge loss, they will definitely not let this go."

"I want to see how that old fox, Cui Mingan, will get out of this mess."

......

The Cui family of Qinghe.

"A lottery? A luminous pearl?"

Cui Mingan slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Li Chengqian! I really underestimated you."

Wang Qinian sat down at the lower end of the table, his face equally grim.

"Brother Cui, the cloth and ironware business in Chang'an has been completely disrupted by the Crown Prince."

If this continues, all our shops inside the pass will have to close down.

Cui Minqian sneered:

"If Li Chengqian can hold a lottery, why can't we?"